Washing machine



cludes the usual washing tub United States Pate O."

WASHING MACHINE John P. Moore, Chicago, Ill. Application August 10, 1956, Serial No. 603,396

2 Claims. ('Cl. 68---269) The present invention relates to washing machines and more particularly to means for operating the wringer on a washing machine.

The invention relates to a washing machine and a mechanism therein for operating the wringer which in cludes a pedal exposed to the exterior and arranged for depression by the foot, and controlled intermittent operation of the wringer at the convenience of the operator. A natural movement of the foot in operating a pedal (when standing) is downward, and conversion of down ward movement into movement in other directions often times requires quite a complicated mechanism, at least relatively complicated with respect to the desired simple and inexpensive mechanism in a washing machine.

An object of the invention is to provide a linkage ineluding a link mounted for movement in a direction approaching the horizontal, and a pedal for depression by the foot, and a simple arrangement of elements for providing for downward movement of the pedal in direction adjacent the vertical, and consequent movement of the link essentially horizontally.

Another object is to provide a construction of the foregoing general nature in which danger of breakage or defection is minimized.

A further object is to provide a construction of such nature as to be readily adapted to either inclusion in an original linkage device, or application thereto in replacement of other pedal devices, as in a repair operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detail description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a washing machine embodying the principles of the present invention, showing certain of the elements diagrammatically, and

Fig. 2 is a view taken on line 2--2 of Fig. 1 also show ing certain elements diagrammatically.

The washer includes an outer casing or jacket supported in suitable manner, as by casters 12 for con venience in moving the washing machine and also for supporting the cabinet 10 above the floor. With respect to the latter feature, as will be referred to again later, the operating pedal 14 is partially under the lower end of the cabinet and it may be moved to an out-of-theway position, sideways from that shown in Fig. 1, to a position out of the way of the operator when standing at that side of the machine. The washing machine in- 16 suitably supported in the cabinet 10. The cabinet includes a plurality of frame members 18 of suitable kind such as angle irons or channel irons. Such framework is of conventional construction and is not described in detail, only certain elements thereof being shown supporting the elements of the construction of the present invention.

A motor 20 is suitably mounted in the cabinet for drivingthe various moving parts of the machine, e. g., a pulley 22 mounted on a shaft 24 driving an agitator in the 2,875,603 Patented Mar. 3, 1959 tub 16. The pulley 22 is driven by a belt v26 trained over that pulley and another pulley 28 on the motor 20.

The motor 20 is also utilized for operating a wringer 30 having the usual pair of rolls 32, and mounted on convenient structural elements of the machine and driven by conventional gear means connected between the rolls and a pulley 34. The latter is secured to a shaft 36 mounted. on a suitable element of the frame of the machine and is driven by a belt 38 trained over the pulley and over another pulley 40 secured to a shaft 42 mounted on a swinging frame element or link 44 to be described later. Also mounted on the shaft 42 is a pulley a bowed portion 54 forming a trunnion or bearing for the shaft. The frame element 44 is disposed generally vertically and is pivotally mounted on one of the frame elements 18 by means of a bolt 56. The swinging element has limited swinging movement for moving the pulleys 40 and 46 for tightening and loosening the belt 48 for establishing and disestablishing the drive to the wringer.

Pivotally mounted in the lower end of the swinging member 44 is a link 58, extending generally horizontally, but slightly inclined as found convenient for practical purposes. The pivotal means may be of a suitable type such as a bolt 62 in the opposite side of'the machine. The upper end of the link 62 is pivoted to one of the frame members 18 by suitable means such as a bolt 64 and its lower end is pivotally connected to the adjacent end of the link 58 by similarly suitable means such as a bolt 66.

It is desired that the pulleys 40 and 46 be normally held in inoperative position and in the arrangement shown and as viewed in Fig. 1 such position is toward the right in which the belt 48 is slack. This relation is normally maintained by means of a compression spring 68 surrounding a finger 70 welded at one end to the link 62 and at its other end loosely extending through an aperture in the adjacent frame member. erably curved about the axis, of the bolt 64. The spring normally biases the swinging link 62 to the right and, acting through the link 58 and swinging member 44, biases the pulleys 40 and 46 also to the right.

For the purpose of operating the wringer, the pulleys 40 and 46 are moved to the left which tightens the belt 48 and establishes the drive from the motor 20 to the wringer. It will be understood that the belt 38 remains tight or taut and whenever the pulley 46 is rotated, drive is immediately imparted to pulley 34 and thus to the wringer. The drive to the wringer is directly controlled by the condition of the belt 48.

The pulleys 4t} and 46 are so moved in belt tightening direction by the pedal 14 referred to above. This pedal is disposed at the lower end of the machine at a conappropriate direction, namely, pedal 14 has a portion 72 a bracket 74 secured to at its inner end connected to zontal portion 76 tion 78. The latter portion 78 is fitted to the flatside is mounted upon swing- 60 and its end remote from the pivot i bolt 60 is pivoted in the lower end of a swinging link The finger 70 is prefthe swinging link 62. The bracket 74 is preferably L-shaped, having a lower .hori- V (Fig. 2) and an upper vertical .por

of the swinging link 62 and secured thereto rigidly for movement therewith. This securement may be by suitable means such as bolts, one of which may be the bolt 66, and an additional bolt 80. These two bolts being spaced apart, as they are, secure the bracket 74 rigidly to the :swinging link 62 for movement therewith, and for moving the latter in response to depression of the pedal 14 by the foot. The bolt 66, it will be understood, remains a pivot means for establishing pivotal connection between the link 60 and the link 58, and it also serves as a pivotal connection between the bracket 74 and the link 58.

The horizontal lower portion '76 of the bracket serves as the means for abutment by the portion 72 of the pedal. The pedal is secured to the bracket by means ofa bolt 82 extending through the portions 76 and 72 and having a spring 34 surrounding it and compressed between the portion 72 of the pedal and a nut $6 on the'lower end of the bolt. The spring 84 is of relatively great strength for normally retaining the portion .72 of the pedal .in flat abutment against the lower portion 76 of the bracket. Depression of the pedal moves the bracket 74 .together with the link 62. about the pivot We to an extent equivalent to the angular movement of the pedal 14. In other words, the portions 72 and '76 remain in flat abutment during movement of the pedal and consequent movement of the link 62, the spring retaining the elements .in rigid assembly. However, pedal f4 can be rotated about the axis of the bolt 32 for swinging the pedal out of the way when so desired. Such position is shown in dot-dash lines in Fig. 2, wherein the pedal is swung at right angles to the position shown .in Fig. 1, and in a position near the under portion of the washing machine cabinet.

The securement of the pedal 14 in the manner noted, namely, in effective rigidity with the swinging link 62, forms a practical means for translating vertical movement of the outer end of the pedal 14 into horizontal movement of the link 58. There is substantially no binding effect, in such movement of the pedal, between the pedal and any of the other elements. The normal position of the link 62 is downward, and the normal position of the pedal 14 is adjacent the horizontal, and swinging movement of the link 62 from the position shown toward the true vertical is associated with movement of the outer end of the pedal that is very near the vertical, and the natural movement of the foot in depressing the pedal is nearly vertical, and thus nearly the direction of movement of the outer end of the pedal. The outer end of the pedal does, however, swing in an are but such are is of very short horizontal projection, and there is no binding effect, .or other objectionable efiect, as'between the pedal and link 58.

The pedal, bracket 74 and link 62 form in effect a rigid assemblage which is pivoted to the link 58 and the link 58 is moved .in near-horizontal direction as in tended and as is practically necessary in order to swing the swinging element 44. The spring 84 possesses sumcient yieldability to act as a safety in the event of excessive depression of the pedal beyond the proper position for tightening the belt 45. It will be understood that the movement of the pulleys 40 .and 46 in the mannerdescribed above does not effect the desired tightness of the belt 38 since the arc of movement of the pulleys is so slight from this standpoint as to be insignificant.

The bracket 74 is shown as a separate element from the link 62 and as such serves as a convenient means for replacement of other pedal elements in such washin'g machines. In those cases where it is desired to adapt thepedal to the swinging link 62 the bracket 74 serves such purpose. However, it is within the compass of the presentinvention that the bracket '74 be made integral with the link 62 to the end that the arrangement may be'provided in the original manufacture of the machine.

Itwillibe understood'that'changes may'be made .inthe 4 device illustrated within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a washing machine having a cabinet and framework structure supported on supporting means for supporting the cabinet in spaced relation from the floor, wringer means operatively mounted adjacent the upper end of the machine, pulley means operatively connected with said wringer means and positioned adjacent the wringer means, an intermediate pulley shaft and means mounting the latter including a vertical swinging link pivotally mounted at its upper end in the frame structure, said intermediate pulley shaft having a first pulley, a belt trained over the latter pulley and the pulley adjacent the wringer means, a second pulley 0n the intermediate pulley shaft, a driving motor mounted in the framework disposed at a height approximating that of the intermediate pulley shaft and spaced laterally therefrom, belt means operatively connected between the 'motor and the second pulley on the intermediate pulley shaft, the intermediate pulley shaft and the pulleys thereon being movable generally horizontally in response to corresponding swinging movement of said link and having a first position in which the latter belt means is slack and a second position in which the latter belt means is tight, a generally horizontal link pivotally connected at one end to the .lower end of said swinging link, a second vertical swinging link pivoted at its upper end to the framework at a point remote from the first swinging link and having its lower end pivotally connected with the adjacent end of the horizontal link, spring means biasing the latter vertical link and thus the horizontal link and the first vertical link in a direction for moving the intermediate pulley shaft to the first said position in which the associated belt means is slack, the improve ment comprising pedal means secured to the lower end of the second swinging link and extendable below the cabinet and framework structure to the exterior of the machine, said pedal means being effectively rigid with 2. In a washing machine of the kind having a frame,

means supporting the frame in elevated position above the floor, a motor, a wringer, drive means for interconnecting .themotor and wringer including a portion movable between a first inactive position and. a second position in which drive is established from the motor to the wringer, and actuating means controlling the movable portion of the drive means including a pair of spaced, depending links pivoted at their upper ends and extending downwardly to a position adjacent the lower end-of the frame, one of said links being disposed adjacent one side of but within the confines of the frame of the machine, a generally horizontal link pivoted at its ends .to the lower swinging ends of said depending links, the improvement comprising a pedal secured to the lower end of said one of said links and having a normal positionextending generally horizontally therefrom and extending outwardly beyond the frame, means pivoting said pedal on said one of said links on a generally vertical axis, said pedal being downwardly swingable and being operative in response to downward swinging movement, as by pressure exerted by the foot, for swinging said links for moving said portion of said drive means to its said second position, meansfor biasing said portion of said drive means toits said inactive position, said pedal being swingable about said vertical axis to a position-generally perpendicular to :said normal position and under the frame of the machine, and spring means yieldingly securing .said pedal in :position about said vertical axis,

5 and yielding to excessive downward pressure exerted on 429,076 said pedal. 1,055,634 1,1 16,087 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 139 108 179,367 Sternberger et a1 June 27, 1876 7001936 6 White May 7, 1890 Davies Mar. 18, 1913 Lewis Nov. 3, 1914 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Mar. 9, 1903 France Jan. 5, 1931 

